Art Holidays in France at www.artholidaysfrance.com

The Course

Batik courses at Art Holidays FranceThe aim of the weeks course is to learn or develop existing skills in silk painting, batik, and machine embroidery and collage, using for inspiration drawings or photographs taken at the farm, produced on our visits to the local area, or favourite images that you may choose to bring with you.

You may choose to work with all of the techniques or to select one or two for further development. The course is suitable for beginners or for those with some experience. The idea is to relax, be creative and enjoy yourself!

Click here for the full agenda

The development of ideas will be up to the individual and can be as flexible as required. help and guidance will be available to encourage your development.

Machine embroidery/collage

Art Holidays France - Courses with JennyUsing the sewing machine to create embroidered collages does not require great skill with a sewing machine and in fact frees you from restrictions that you may previously have encountered when sewing. A free approach to this technique will be demonstrated, allowing you to draw with the machine, to either enhance pieces of batik or silk painting, or to use it in combination with other fabrics to create collage.

 

 

 

Batik

Batik is the art of dying and decorating fabric, or paper, using hot wax as a resist. Simple or complicated designs can be developed once the technique has been mastered. Traditionally batik is worked onto white fabric, building up successive layers of dye, working from light to dark to create a design. Techniques and skills will be taught to allow confidence to develop and to encourage experimentation that's when the fun starts! We will begin our work on batik by experimenting with batik on tissue paper using bleach and dyes to create amazing effects - you may get hooked!

 

 

Silk painting

Painting onto silk complements batik, and in fact the two techniques can be combined. Silk is a luxurious fabric and quite stunning results can be achieved with a little practice. Gutta, used as an outliner creates a resist, similar to the use of wax when doing batik, and can be used in coloured form to draw and decorate as part of a design. Salt can also be used to create amazing textures and patterns, as it resists the dye.

 

 

 

  All images are the work of Jenny O'Leary.                     Click any for a larger view.

Machine embroidered tree with collage Batik tree on paper with blue border and moon Batik landscape on tissue paper Batik leaves on paper with reverse applique and stitch embellishment
   
  Sunflower reverse applique Silk landscape  
       
     
       
     

 


email Malcolm or Jenny O'Leary Telephone: 01691 656788